Koya Line

Koya Line
A Rinkan limited express service
Overview
Native name	高野線
Type	Heavy rail Commuter rail
Locale	Osaka Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture
Termini	Shiomibashi Gokurakubashi
Operation
Owner	Nankai Electric Railway
Depot(s)	Chiyoda, Oharata
Technical
Line length	64.5 km (40.1 mi)
Number of tracks	Double (Shiomibashi - Hashimoto) Single (Hashimoto - Gokurakubashi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed	100 km/h (60 mph)

The Koya Line (高野線, Kōya sen) is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the Nankai Electric Railway, a private railway operator. It connects Osaka and Koyasan, the capital of the Japanese Buddhist sect Shingon, via the suburbs of Osaka, such as Sakai, Osakasayama, Tondabayashi and Kawachinagano in Osaka Prefecture and Hashimoto and Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture. To distinguish it from other Nankai Lines, the Kōya Line is indicated with pictograms of coniferous-like trees which bring to mind Mount Koya, or with the line colour, green.

For historical reasons, the line formally begins at Shiomibashi Station in Osaka and crosses the Nankai Main Line, the company's other main line, at Kishinosato-Tamade Station, though operationally it starts at Namba Station together with the Nankai Line, diverges at Kishinosato-Tamade Station and goes to Gokurakubashi Station, to connect to Koyasan through Nankai Cable Line.

The section from Shiomibashi to Kishinosato-Tamade, called the "Shiomibashi Line" (汐見橋線), has trains operating only in between those two stations. The section from Hashimoto to Gokurakubashi and the Koyasan Cable is named the "Koya Flower Railway" (こうや花鉄道) by operating a sightseeing train "Tenku".

Route map
Legend
Koya Line  Stations of Nankai Railway line unless otherwise noted 4.1 Namba (first)-1980 3.9 NK01 Namba (second)1980- (for connections, see below)   3.0 NK02 Imamiyaebisu 2.5 NK03 Shin-Imamiya( for connections, see below ) 1.9 NK04 Haginochaya Tennoji Branch Line Sakaisuji Line (K20) 0.9 NK05 Tengachaya Shiomibashi "Shiomibashi Line"   for details, see below 0.0 NK06 Kishinosato-Tamade Nankai Main Line Hankai: Hankai Line 1.1 NK51 Tezukayama Hankai: Uemachi Line (Kaminoki Station) 2.0 NK52 Sumiyoshihigashi 2.9 NK53 Sawanochō 3.2 Wakamiya-1917 3.5 NK54 Abikomae Yamato River 4.8 NK55 Asakayama 6.4 NK56 Sakaihigashi JR-W: Hanwa Line 7.9 NK57 Mikunigaoka 8.8 NK58 Mozuhachiman Subway: Midosuji Line (M30) 9.5 NK59 Nakamozu Osaka Urban Development:   Semboku Rapid Railway Kōmyōike Izumi-Chūō 10.1 Mozu (freight)-1912? 10.4 (extra) Nakamozu Undojo-mae 10.5 NK60 Shirasagi 12.0 NK61 Hatsushiba 12.9 NK62 Hagiharatenjin 14.7 NK63 Kitanoda Nishiyoke River 15.6 NK64 Sayama Higashiyoke River 16.7 Ikejiri Signal Box-1914 17.2 NK65 Ōsakasayamashi 17.6 Daiichi Handa (freight)-1930? 18.2 Daini Handa (freight)-1930? 18.3 NK66 Kongō 20.0 NK67 Takidani 21.3 NK68 Chiyoda 22.0 Chiyoda Signal Box Chiyoda Depot and Chiyoda Workshop Kintetsu: Nagano Line 23.4 NK69 Kawachinagano Ishikawa River Amami River Amami River Amami River 25.1 NK70 Mikkaichichō Kagata Signal Box-1984 26.7 NK71 Mikanodai 28.6 NK72 Chihayaguchi 30.3 NK73 Amami Osaka Prefecture Kimi Tunnel Wakayama Prefecture 34.0 NK74 Kimitōge 35.3 NK75 Rinkanden'entoshi 36.2 Hashitani Signal Box-1983 37.3 NK76 Miyukitsuji 38.2 Oharata Signal Box Oharata Inspection Depot 39.5 (extra) Ichiwakiyama-1918? 39.9 Hashimotocho (extra platform)-? 40.1 NK77 Hashimoto 40.6 0.0 Tsuma Signal Box-1959 JR-W: Wakayama Line - 0.6 Kinokawaguchi-1959 Kinokawa 43.2 NK78 Kii-Shimizu 45.8 NK79 Kamuro 47.6 NK80 Kudoyama Nyugawa River 49.6 NK81 Kōyashita Fudotani River 51.3 NK82 Shimo-Kosawa 2 tunnels Naka-Kosawa Bridge 53.0 NK83 Kami-Kosawa 4 tunnels Kasagi Bridge 2 tunnels 56.0 NK84 Kii-Hosokawa 7 tunnels 58.4 NK85 Kii-Kamiya 4 tunnels 59.9 NK86 Gokurakubashi Kōyasan Cable funicular
Shiomibashi Branch  Subway: Sennichimae Line (Sakuragawa) Hanshin: Hanshin Namba Line (Sakuragawa) 0.0 NK06-5 Shiomibashi JR-W: Osaka Loop Line (Ashiharabashi) 0.9 NK06-4 Ashiharachō 1.6 NK06-3 Kizugawa 2.6 NK06-2 Tsumori Osaka Tram: Hankai Line 3.6 NK06-1 Nishi-Tengachaya 4.6 NK06 Kishinosato-TamadeNankai Main Line Koya Line
Details of Namba area  Yotsubashi Line (Y15) Midōsuji Line (M20) Sennichimae Line (S16) Kintetsu: Namba Line (Osaka Namba) Hanshin: Hanshin Namba Line (Osaka Namba) NK01 Namba Subway: Sakaisuji Line Subway: Daikokuchō NK02 Imamiyaenisu Subway, Hankai: Ebisuchō Hankai: Hankai Line JR-W: Osaka Loop, Kansai Main (Yamatoji) lines NK03 Shin-Imamiya /Hankai: Minami-Kasumichō Midōsuji Line (M22) Dōbutsuen-mae Sakaisuji Line (K19) NK04 HaginochayaHankai: Imaike NK05 Tengachaya Nankai Line (left)/Koya Line (right)

Service patterns

Local (各駅停車, Kakueki Teisha) (Lo)

Between Namba and Sakaihigashi, Kitanoda, Kongō, Chiyoda, Kawachinagano, Miikkaichichō, Rinkanden-entoshi or Hashimoto, and between Hashimoto and Kōyashita or Gokurakubashi.

Semi-Express (準急, Junkyū) (SE)

All the southbound trains are operated from Namba to Izumi-Chūō on the Semboku Rapid Railway Line. On weekday mornings, northbound trains for Namba are operated from Kawachinagano and Chiyoda in addition to the through trains from the Semboku Rapid Railway Line.

Sub Express (区間急行, Kukan Kyūkō) (SbE)

Trains are operated between Namba and Kawachinagano, Miikkaichichō, Rinkanden-entoshi or Izumi-Chūō (Semboku Line).

Express (急行, Kyūkō) (Ex)

Trains are operated mainly between Namba and Miikkaichichō, Rinkanden-entoshi or Hashimoto. Several trains are operated between Namba and Kōyashita or Gokurakubashi.

Rapid Express (快速急行, Kaisoku Kyūkō) (RE)

All trains are operated between Namba and Gokurakubashi, and use a special "Zoomcar" rolling stock. On weekday evenings, southbound trains for Hashimoto from Namba are operated using other rolling stock.

Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū) (LE)

The Kōya (こうや) operates between Namba and Gokurakubashi, and the Rinkan (りんかん) between Namba and Hashimoto.

From December 5, 2015, Semboku Liner (泉北ライナー) services also commenced between Namba and Izumi-Chūō (Semboku Line). All seats on Limited Express trains are reserved.

Sightseeing train Tenku (観光列車「天空」) (Tk)

From July 3, 2009, trains operate between Hashimoto and Gokurakubashi daily except Wednesdays and Thursdays from March until November, and on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays from December until February. They stop at Kamuro and Kudoyama.

• For fare calculation, the distance between Tengachaya and Tezukayama is defined as 1.8 km

Stations

Namba - Kishinosato-Tamade - Gokurakubashi

• LE - Semboku Liner No Stop

Shiomibashi - Kishinosato-Tamade

The section is known as the Shiomibashi Line (汐見橋線).

History

The Takano Railway opened the Shiomibashi to Sayama section between 1898 and 1900, and extended the line to Kawachinagano in 1902. That section was electrified at 600 V DC in 1912. All further extensions were electrified when opened.

The Kawachinagano - Mikkaichicho section opened in 1914, and the line was extended to Hashimoto the following year. In 1922, the company merged with Nankai, and the Hashimoto to Gokurakubashi section opened in 1929.

Double-tracking of the line commenced in 1924, reaching Kawachinagano in 1938. The line voltage was increased to 1,500 V DC in 1973, and the following year, double-tracking reached Mikkaichicho, and Hashimoto in 1995.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

Nankai Electric Railway lines
Nankai Line & Airport Line	Nankai Main Line Airport Line Takashinohama Line Tanagawa Line Kada Line Wakayamako Line
Koya Line	Koya Line (Shiomibashi Line)
Cable Line	Cable Line
Transferred lines	Hankai Line Uemachi Line Kishigawa Line Yamate Line
Defunct lines	Tennoji Branch Kitajima Branch Hirano Line Ohama Branch Kainan Line Shinmachi Line Wakanoura Line